'cast iron' on Serious Eats

We've shared a lot of love for cast iron here at Serious Eats, but in our own kitchens there's another very similar type of pan that gets near equal use: carbon steel. Since it's more common in restaurant kitchens than homes, we've been pretty mum on the subject, but today, it's time to talk about what makes this sibling to cast iron great. More

We love cast iron here at Serious Eats. We know many of our readers love it too. And for those who are really, really serious about it, the next step is to go vintage. But just how do you fix up a rusted century-old pan? We went to a pro to find out. More

There's a mysterious, myth-packed lore when it comes to cast iron pans. On the one hand there's the folks who claim you've got to treat your cast iron cookware like a delicate little flower. On the other, there's the macho types who chime in with their my cast iron is hella non-stick or goddam, does my pan heat evenly! In the world of cast iron, there are unfounded, untested claims left right and center. It's time to put a few of those myths to rest.
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You don't have to give up that crisp, brown, Southern-style crust to enjoy sweet and moist Northern-style cornbread. We tweaked our Northern cornbread recipe until we finally arrived on a version that delivers both, with plenty of golden corn flavor to boot. More

While a simple roast chicken is swell, and fall vegetables are pretty much made for roasting, wouldn't it be nice if there were a recipe that delivered a roast chicken with supremely crisp, crackling skin and juicy meat along with tender, charred roasted vegetables—all in one go? That's precisely what this recipe does, and it gets you a pitcher full of bright, rich gravy to boot.
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While a simple roast chicken is swell, and fall vegetables are pretty much made for roasting, wouldn't it be nice if there were a recipe that delivered a roast chicken with supremely crisp, crackling skin and juicy meat along with tender, charred roasted vegetables—all in one go? That's precisely what this recipe does, and it gets you a pitcher full of bright, rich gravy to boot.
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Last week, after publishing a recipe for a cast iron-baked, tortilla pizza, it was suggested that I just fold it in half and make it into a quesadilla pizza. What if I took that concept, and tweaked it just a bit? It gives birth to the pizzadilla (or is it a quesadizza?), that's what. This is what happens when a pizza and a quesadilla make sweet, sweet love: Cheesy, greasy, crisp-edged glory. More

In the catalog of easy, cheat-y pizza recipes that start with some form of pre-baked bread base, flour-tortilla pizzas ranked pretty low on my list. But after this week, all that has changed and I'm now going to take the position that given the proper technique, a couple of tricks, and the aid of a cast iron skillet, flour tortillas are actually the best way to make quick thin-and-crisp, bar-style pizza at home. More

This recipe starts off with crumbled Italian sausage cooked down in a bit of butter. I sauté a few types of mushrooms in the rendered fat, then flavor them with shallots, garlic, and a little bit of soy sauce and lemon juice. They get finished in a simple creamy sauce flavored with Parmesan cheese. Add some pasta, top it all of with crisp bread crumbs, bake it directly in the cast iron pan you cooked it in, and you've got yourself a one-skillet meal fit for normal everyday folks who perhaps might occasionally feel like kings. More

This recipe starts off with crumbled Italian sausage cooked down in a bit of butter. I sauté a few types of mushrooms in the rendered fat, then flavor them with shallots, garlic, and a little bit of soy sauce and lemon juice. They get finished in a simple creamy sauce flavored with Parmesan cheese. Add some pasta, top it all of with crisp bread crumbs, bake it directly in the cast iron pan you cooked it in, and you've got yourself a one-skillet meal fit for normal everyday folks who perhaps might occasionally feel like kings. More

Who doesn't like knotted bites of tender, chewy, golden-brown pizza dough that are tossed in butter with flecks of garlic and herbs clinging to the nooks and crannies? Now imagine those same garlic knots, but with flecks of crisp, spicy pepperoni worked in, along with the kind of golden brown, crusty bottom that only a cast iron skillet can impart. And let's throw in the wafting steam and moist, tender center that pull-apart breads come with, and oh, how about two different cheeses? Sound good to you? More

These pull-apart garlic knots are baked in a cast iron skillet for a crisp, golden brown bottom. They are intensely flavored with pepperoni, red pepper flakes, garlic, and two types of cheeses, and have a moist, buttery crumb. It's the kind of recipe that your guests will demand you make time and time again because they're that damn good. Good thing they're easy as well. More

This all-in-one meal in a salad is perfect for those late summer or early fall evenings. Sweet corn and spice-rubbed flank steak along with bright, crunchy raw tomatillos are tossed in a lime and olive oil vinaigrette with a hint of spicy chili and salty cotija cheese.
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In my line of work, you end up with lots of leftovers, and lots of leftovers means that I make a lot of hash. I mean, a lot of it. What better way is there to recycle that little hunk of bacon, that half onion, and that just-about-to-get-wrinkled pepper than to chop them up, fry them in a skillet with cubes of potatoes, and serve them with runny eggs on a lazy sunday morning? (Hint: there is no better way.) More